How It Starts
by raero
Summary: She's got a boyfriend anyway. In which Percy is tired of cleaning up the mess Annabeth makes.


**A/N: Hi, guys! In case you didn't know, my all time favorite band is The 1975 and I get a lot of inspiration from their songs, so this story is inspired heavily by the song "Sex". Specifically, the Ryan Hemsworth remix. This is very much an AU that feel heavily corresponds with the song. Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Thank you so much for reading!**

"Percy, please, I have a boyfriend."

He heard these words more than he cared to admit.

In his defense, she was an instigator. She'd give those looks that made him melt. She'd steal his t-shirts and wear them around his room. Her fingers often found themselves knotted in his shaggy, black hair. Her grey eyes would dart from his lips to his sea green eyes, as if she was daring him to kiss her. And damn, did he want too.

But she was Annabeth Chase, the seventeen year old genius who accomplished anything she wanted too. She was captain of whatever sport she tried, flawless in every piece of clothing she wore, and superior in whatever exam was laid before her.

He was simply Percy Jackson. Talented in swimming, but an average student with average goals. He was her best friend and his task was to be her support and, much to his dismay, admire her from afar. It was Luke's job to kiss her, but that wouldn't stop him from considering it.

He never would try anything with her though. He respected her too much. He would, however, never stop her when she'd crawl into his lap. He wouldn't stop her when she'd press her forehead against his and gaze at him with a stern look on her face. It would a couple of heavenly seconds until she'd pull away murmuring, "Percy, I have a boyfriend."

And with that one sentence, Percy's mood would change. It's not quite that he was jealous, more so that he knew Luke didn't deserve Annabeth. He hated Luke. He hated the way he treated her and he hated knowing how much better he could treat her.

It made him even angrier when, on a rainy December night, Annabeth showed up at his window with tears running down her cheeks and her hair in a messy bun.

"Percy," she sobs. "Percy, he's just so-" her voice breaks as she starts to cry harder.

Anger bubbles in his stomach. He does his best to mask it as he pulls her through the window and into his arms.

"Hey, hey, I'm here, okay?" he pulls her into bed and wraps her in a blanket.

They lay together until Annabeth's sobs turn into soft whimpers.

"He's so different now, Percy" she says once her breathing is even again. "He's so mean to me now and I don't think there's anything left I can do."

Was he an asshole for being slightly excited about her saying that? He feels guilty so he pulls her closer.

"People change, Annabeth. Sometimes, you just grow apart and there's just nothing you can do about it no matter how much it sucks," he strokes her hair as he murmurs this in her ear.

She sits up and looks him directly in the eye. "Not you though. You've been the same since we were kids. You're still my best friend and you're still the most loyal person I know."

He swallows the lump in his throat, unsure of what to say next.

But he doesn't have to speak, because after several seconds of her eyes burning in his and feeling her breath hit his lips, her hands are knotted in his hair and her lips are crushed against his. A small a gasp escapes from his lips and he's immediately breathless.

"Annabeth, What are you-"

"Percy, please," she gasps. She crushes herself against him again.

His mind is liquid and he knows he should stop her. He didn't want to take advantage of her in her weak state. But, _damn,_ her kisses were everything he needed.

"Annabeth, I can't do this. Not when you're upset like this."

She pulls away and he's slightly wishing his mother hadn't raised him to be such a good guy. Her lips are swollen from kissing and her hair is falling down from her bun, curls framing her face and emphasizing her grey eyes. Her shirt rumpled, exposing her tan, flat stomach and her legs are tangled up with his.

"I'm sorry," she whispers.

"It's okay," he pushes the runaway hair out of her face.

 _Luke doesn't deserve her,_ Percy thinks to himself. _I could take such better care of her._

"Percy, you're my best friend," she mumbles.

"You're my best friend too.

* * *

Luke and Annabeth are back together the next week.

Percy is trying not to raise his voice at her as she's laying on his bed wearing his shirt and some jean shorts.

"Annabeth, you're too smart for this bullshit. Come on, you know better!"

"Percy, stop. He loves me," her voice trails like she's assuring herself more than him.

He shakes his head in disgust. His anger is coming to it's peak despite him trying to mask it.

"If he loves you so much, why are you always coming to me crying, huh?" He's crossing so many lines and he knows it, but once he starts he can't stop.

"If you love him, why are you always coming to me? He doesn't give you all you need, does he? You come to me expecting me to care for you and do all the things that he can't, but do you ever stop and think that my feelings for you are real?"

His face is red hot and he's yelling now. She watches him silently, her lips sqeezed together in a tight line.

"You're the absolute most important person in my life, Annabeth, but fuck, I can't just keep picking up these messes he makes. Especially when I know for a fact that I'd take so much better care of you. And I can't quite understand why you can't see that too."

He's out of line and demanding too much of her, but to him this is a necessity. He's watched this bastard destroy this once strong beautiful girl and he can't stand back any longer. He can't even look at her.

"Annabeth, you need to leave."

"Percy, don't be this way please," her eyes are filled with tears because she knows how right he is, she just can't bring herself to accept it.

"Go."

So she did. And she didn't look back.

* * *

Two weeks after their fight, Percy heard from Jason that Annabeth and Luke had broke up again.

"From what Piper told me, it sounds pretty definitive this time," Jason says as they climb the stairs to their high school.

"Sure it is," Percy grumbles.

"You can't let this dickwad ruin your friendship with Annabeth, Percy. Honestly, it's ridiculous. You've been friends far too long to let it end like this," Jason sighs.

Percy never told anyone, not even Jason, about Annabeth's late night cuddle sessions or the kiss. Jason barely even knew what the fight was about.

"It's her choice, man, not mine."

As they enter the hallway of the school, Percy sees Piper rounding the corner with Annabeth by her side.

"Well, this is where I leave you. See you, buddy."

"Percy, come on. Stop being this way." Jason grabs his arm.

"Percy, what's wrong?" Piper asks.

Annabeth stares at him intently and it takes all of him not to meet her eyes.

Percy shakes his head. "I just really have to go to class. I'll see you later, Piper."

* * *

It's three in the morning six days after seeing her in the hallway, when Percy hears the knock. And when he ignores it, he hears three more. He lazily climbs out of bed, shirtless and wearing basketball shorts. She's there in a gray hoodie and shorts. Her face is flushed and he can tell she must've ran there.

"What?" he grumbles through the closed window.

"Let me in," she demands.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I know why you're here so don't bother. Go home and call Piper and cry to her. I'm all out of fucks to give, sorry."

"That's not why I'm here, asshole."

He opens the window. "What do you want then?"

"To apologize. And say thank you."

He feels himself soften. He doesn't want to make this easy, but he's such a sucker for her. He steps aside to let her in. "I'm listening."

"Everyone's been telling me the same thing, just in a nicer way. Piper, Jason, Thalia, everyone. I never listened and, god, I don't know, I can't admit when I'm wrong. You know me," she shrugs, "I'm usually so right about everything but I was wrong about Luke. I couldn't see it until our fight. Seaweed Brain, you were right, okay, I admit it."

She's breathing hard and pacing around his room frantically.

"God, you're my everything, Percy. You really are and I was hurting you and I was so stupid and so selfish. Everything you said hurt, but I needed to hear it. I needed someone to just come out and tell me flat out what an idiot I was being. And after that, I could see all the things wrong with me and Luke, you know?"

She pauses and says in a quiet voice, "Did you know he was cheating on me?"

She notices the way Percy's leg twitches out of anger so she adds, "Not that I care. At least, not anymore. I don't need people like that in my life. I've realized, Percy, that the only one I really need is you."

Tears are rolling silently down her cheeks because she's desperate for him to forgive her, because without him, she doesn't know what she'll do.

"You bring out the best in me and I just-" her voice breaks and she can't go on.

He jumps up and takes her in his arms.

Her breathing evens and she relaxes into him. When they fall onto his bed they both are completely relaxed. He can feel his heart beating in time with hers.

They would need to go slow. Their friendship needed to be eased into the relationship they both craved.

They knew, as they laid there in the darkness of Percy's room, that what was before them wouldn't be easy, but they were going to go forward. In the end, it would be worth it.

This is how Percy and Annabeth became _Percy and Annabeth._

This is how it all started.

 **A/N: Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. I kind of like, kind of don't. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think! Thank you so much for reading!**


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